1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to security devices, and particularly to a security device that prevents large numbers of items of merchandise from being rapidly removed from display racks, and in particular from a double display rod. Specifically, the present invention relates to a security device that is easily attached and locked on the display rod and which allows one or several items of merchandise to be removed from the rod at any one time, but protects a number of the items from being removed from the rod by a shoplifter, and that can only be unlocked using a specially configured magnetic key.
2. Background Information
Numerous items of merchandise are displayed for sale on long protruding rods that are supported from a piece of pegboard, slat board, or other type of supporting structure. These rods are commonly referred to in the art as pegboard rods or slat board rods. Many items of merchandise such as batteries, small tools, tool components, film, or other relatively expensive small items are displayed in areas where consumers may pick them up and take them directly to a checkout counter. These items usually are suspended on the rods by the rod passing through a single hole in the package. Unfortunately, such merchandise is an easy target for shoplifters. It has been found that shoplifters can rapidly empty all of the merchandise from a pegboard display rod and make off with merchandise without being detected, or even if detected upon passing through a checkout security gate, will be difficult to apprehend.
Various devices have been devised to prevent the removal of merchandise from these display rods such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,027,622, 5,275,027, 5,259,220, 5,689,978, 5,676,258, 6,622,979, and 6,474,478. The devices of these patents provide for some type of locking mechanism on the end of the rod preventing the removal of any items of merchandise from the rod. This has the disadvantage in that it requires the customer to contact a clerk who must unlock the lock mechanism from the end of the rod to enable the customer to remove the merchandise for purchase. It has been found that this reduces the amount of sales since many customers do not wish to wait or take the time to find a clerk to unlock the security device to enable the customer to secure the desired item.
Other types of display rods use irregularly shaped ends on the rod which enables the customer to remove the item from the rod by moving it through a circuitous route along various bends at the distal end of the rod. This has proven satisfactory to some extent in that it increases the difficulty of a shoplifter from rapidly removing a large number of the items from the rod. However, it does not prevent the shoplifter from removing all of the items of merchandise from the rod if the shoplifter uses a large amount of force upon sweeping the items from the rod or bunches the items together enabling a plurality of the items to be removed in one motion from the rod.
Another disadvantage with display rods is that a thief will occasionally remove the entire rod from the supporting structure or peg board including the merchandise even if secured on the rod and steal the contents from the store. Therefore, to prevent the theft of the entire display rod and supported merchandise, devices have been developed to lock the display rod to the supporting structure.
Another problem with prior art rod locking devices is that they require more manipulation than desirable in order to attach the lock device on the rod or remove the same from the rod and when in multiple components, the components can be separated and lost.
Certain types of merchandise security devices use magnetic actuated locks which use a magnetic key to unlock the lock. However, thieves have discovered that certain types of magnetic locks can be unlocked by commonly available bar magnets, thus making these locks less desirable for merchants.
Many types of merchandise display rods consist of a pair of upper and lower rods which extend in parallel with respect to each other from a support structure with the merchandise being supported on the lower rod. The upper rod supports an article identification tag identifying the item of merchandise stored on the lower rod. In these double rod arrangements, a lock is usually placed on the lower rod in order to protect the merchandise supported thereon. However, the presence of the closely spaced upper rod makes it more difficult to attach, remove and unlock the security device on the lower rod. Thus, these double display rod arrangements increase the difficulty for conveniently placing and removing a lock mechanism thereon to prevent the theft and rapid removal of the merchandise from the lower rod.
Thus, it is desired in the art to provide a security device for double display rods so that large quantities of merchandise cannot be rapidly removed from the rods yet would allow legitimate customers to remove a limited number of the items from the rod without requiring a merchant or store clerk to assist the customer, and to prevent the double display rods from being unlawfully removed from the supporting structure, and if removed will sound an alarm of a security gate upon passing through the gate in an unauthorized manner.